Conventionally, removable data recording media, such as optical disks or magnetic disks, are often housed in a cartridge. The cartridge protects the optical or magnetic disk from debris or dust.
A conventional data recording/reproducing device has a disk drive device for holding the cartridge, for opening a cartridge shutter provided on the cartridge, for rotating an optical or magnetic disk housed in the cartridge, and for recording/reading data on the optical or magnetic disk using an optical or magnetic head.
Such a disk drive device further has an insertion opening for inserting or discharging a cartridge. The opening often has a shutter mechanism for preventing debris or dust from entering the interior of the disk drive device.
One conventional shutter mechanism has a swingable shutter leaf. Upon insertion or discharge of the cartridge, the shutter leaf swings inward or outward, pushed by the cartridge.
However, a clearance is provided between the shutter leaf and the insertion opening, in order to prevent contact between the shutter leaf and the peripheral edge of the insertion opening (to obtain smooth movement of the shutter leaf). Therefore, debris or dust may enter the interior of the disk drive device through the clearance.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shutter mechanism for a disk drive capable of preventing the entry of debris or dust through a clearance between an insertion opening and a shutter leaf of a disk drive device, when the shutter leaf closes the insertion opening.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a shutter mechanism, including a shutter leaf, swingably provided to a disk cartridge insertion opening. The shutter leaf has at least one resilient skirt along a portion of a periphery of the shutter leaf. The resilient skirt extends toward the periphery of the opening, so that the resilient skirt closes a clearance between the shutter leaf and the opening when the shutter leaf is closed.
With the above constituted shutter mechanism, when the shutter leaf closes the opening, the clearance between the shutter leaf and the opening is closed by the resilient skirt, preventing the entry of debris or dust through the clearance. Furthermore, since the resilient skirt can easily deform when in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening, the movement of the shutter leaf is smooth.
If the shutter leaf is rectangularly shaped, and is supported at, and swingable about, one side of the rectangular shutter leaf, the resilient skirt is provided preferably along the side of the rectangular shutter leaf opposite the supported side.
The resilient skirt may be arranged to cover all three remaining sides (i.e., excepting the supported side) to prevent the entry of debris or dust through the clearance between the shutter leaf and the opening on all sides thereof.
The resilient skirt preferably includes a pair of sheet members, respectively attached to the inner and outer surfaces of the shutter leaf, having portions extending toward the peripheral edge of the opening, and attached to each other. Instead of a single pair of sheet members, the resilient skirt may be made of three pairs of sheet members, for covering the three remaining sides (excepting the supported side) of the shutter leaf.
According to another aspect of the invention, a shutter mechanism includes a pair of shutter leaves, swingably provided to disk cartridge insertion opening. The shutter leaves face each other when the shutter leaf closes the opening. At least one of the shutter leaves has a resilient skirt or skirts along a portion facing the remaining shutter leaf. The resilient skirt or skirts of this shutter leaf extends toward the remaining shutter leaf so as to close a clearance between the shutter leaves, when the shutter leaves close the opening.
With the above constituted shutter mechanism, when the shutter leaves close the opening, the entry of debris or dust through the clearance between the shutter leaves is prevented. Furthermore, since the resilient skirt can easily deform when the resilient skirt is in contact with the other shutter leaf, the movement of the shutter leaves are smooth. The resilient skirt may be provided to both shutter leaves along the portions facing each other.
In the case where the shutter leaves are rectangularly shaped, each of the shutter leaves is supported at and swingable about one side of the rectangular shutter leaf. The side opposite to the supported side faces the other shutter leaf. Each shutter leaf may have the resilient skirt along the above opposite side of the shutter leaf. Each resilient skirt may be arranged to cover three remaining sides (excepting the supported side) to prevent the entry of the debris or dust through the clearance between the shutter leaves and the opening as well as through the clearance between the shutter leaves.